It was unexpected and surprising when Fala Chen (陳法拉) chose to leave her success behind to go back to school in 2014. The ex-TVB star has just started her third year at The Juilliard School in New York, studying for a master’s of fine arts degree in drama. But in the midst of studying for exams and attending rehearsals, Fala hasn’t forgotten to spend her free time working. This past summer, Fala made a whirlwind return to Hong Kong to star in the best-selling play Skylight <前度> with Dayo Wong (黃子華). This month, Fala did a photoshoot with a fashion magazine, and toured New York City wearing Kate Spade fashion. Fala’s photoshoot covered all of New York. The 34-year-old actress shared tidbits of her student life at Juilliard, talking about what she does on a typical school day. Fala introduced her school’s rehearsal studio, cafe, as well as the famous streets of Broadway. School life has never been better for Fala. The Skylight actress said she fell in love with her a regular lifestyle, which was something she could not have back when she was an actress in Hong Kong. “I bike to school every morning. I breathe in the fresh air, and I know it’s the official start of a very busy and fulfilling day. I start class at 9 in the morning, and rehearsals end at 10 at night. I love and cherish this opportunity of having the space to consistently improve and challenge myself.” Though she’s already into her third year at Juilliard, Fala hasn’t really thought about what she’s going to do upon graduation. “I’m really enjoying this stage of my life right now. Learning never ends. I may not know how my future is going to look like, but I do know that, as long as I enjoy the life I chose, every place I go will be my stage.” Creds; ihktv
You're kidding, right? SAT or TOEFL? She ALREADY holds a Bachelors in Business from Emory University's Goizueta School of Business, which is one of the best business schools in the United States. She was born in China but lived in the US since age 14 and speaks flawless English, so she never needed TOEFL. People may not appreciate it, but Julliard is the equivalent for music and theater arts as MIT is for math and science. It's masters acceptance rate varies between 5-8% (depending on the year), which compares to that of medical school. So let's put it this way, in her universe? SAT and TOEFL scores are meaningless; it's already a given that she's at the top 1% of applicants. In essence, she isn't just a good looking babe who tried to fake her educational pedigree like TVB's Sisley Choi ( who faked a degree from some educational backwater like the Philippines). Fala Chen is the real deal.
